Spray-type milk cooler



R. A. HEIM SPRAY-TYPE MILK COOLER 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Nov. 16, 1954v Filed Nov. 20, 1951 Nov. 16, 1954 R. A. HEIM SPRAY-TYPE MILK COOLER 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Nov. 20, 1951 Nov. 16, 1954 R. A. HEIM 5 3 SPRAY-TYPE MILK COOLER Filed No v. 20,- 1951 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 7 u 15 7 7 mm United States Patent @i'fice SPRAY-TYPE MILK5C00LER' Application November 20,- 1951,-Serial-No; 257,264 9 Claims. (Cl. 62--I41) cans containing milk for the purpo'se of rapidly cooling the contents thereof. =More particu'la-rly,howeverythe invention is concerned ing arrangement adapted for use in coolersiof this character; and to a simplified meansfor loading and unloading such coolers.

The present trend in milk 'cooler constructions is diwith a can supportihg'and spra-y- 20' outer linerszll' and 12,:res'pectively, thermal'insulation I3, and insulated Fig. 4-is a top plan view of'the'spray headerii and'. E

central.bearingpedestal'post assembly.

Fig. 5 is a vertical plan view, partially insection, of

Fig. 6 is a top accordance. with the present invention:

Fig. 7 is a side view,'with portions of thecabinet cut away, :whichshows. a simplified can .loadin'g'and unload ing cart-like-dolly'and its relationshiptothe cooler during thev loading "andunloading thereof."

Fig. 8 is a topsectional view ofa portion of the'cooler Patented Nov. 16,1954.

3 3 or x I the spray'heade'r and central bearing pedestal post a'ssem Roy A; Heim; Evansville, Ind., assignor to lnternational "bl Harvester Company, a'corporation of New Jersey" plan view of the; cooler "constructed in v 'showing the loading and unloadingdolly in position be-" neath amilk can;

Reference'now to the drawings will'show that the pre ferred embodiment illustrated depicts an insulatedcabinet 10 fashioned with vertical walls formed with inner and 14 and15; respectively, that are similarly formed": One

.sep'aratedbysuitable bottom and top walls 2:.

of the vertical walls, which; preferably, is utilized as a A rectedtoward the spray *type o'f 'cooler' having a doorcovered front opening through Which"'cans filled'with Warm milk may be inserted-and removed with a=minimum of physical exertion, particularly lifting effort;' on the part of the user of the -cooler.'-' While'this' type cooler represents a distinct advance over the 'priorfls'ubmersio'ntype, which required considerable#eff'ort'in lifting-the heavy filled cans to the 'topthereof a'nd then lowering them through'top-openings into' the cooler-and in rovers as a labor saving device 'as is presently. desired, -Even loading operations-require considerably morephysical "front iwall'although itmay be otherwise," is formed with an access opening: 16-that may be covered'or closediby a hingedly supported :insulateddoor 17"equipped with a conventional resilientsealinggasket 18' forsealing the edges :andreducing the. leakage of'air therearound... The

' pluralityiof openings the outer liner 20 and the wall insulation 21,

with a plate 25 secured .by'suitable'bolt means '26 to said i top wall outer liner 20;

etfort'than is frequentl'y available-in the physique of the user. -Such drawbacks and disadvantages;however, as have heretofore been encountered'in'coolers'ofthlstype have been overcome inane presentin'vention whichis' directed to the provision df-a cooler of thespray-typem which, in addition to=being hi'g'hlyefiective' aridefllcient I as a cooling device,

effort required to load heavy'nmilk cans thereinto 'or is also so arranged'that thephysical remove said cans therefrom is substantially reduced.

It is a primary object-, therefore, topro'vide in the present invention an improved spray-type liquid cooler 22 is covered with a while the central opening 23ywhich extends only through top wall beingifashioned similarly to' the vertical side and 20, respec .tivelyfseparatedwbyinsulation 21*and provided with a I ZZ-arranged in a circle around-and ing the procedure when the -cans had to be removed, 'outside%o'f:a central opening1'23: Each of the openings f" it still is not as eflicien t a cooling 'device oras effective walls includes- :inner 'and outer liners 1 19 :closure cap'or cover member 24,

An evaporator cooling unit, consisting of a refrigerant conducting'coil27 positioned on the floor 28of said cabi-. net, may be connected by conduits may be circulated through said coil in conventional the bottomof said cabinet,-which water, inturn, is intended for spraying over milk cans, positioned in said cabinet,'to. cool the contents thereof as will be more that may be loaded and unloaded-with a 'minimu'r'n of physical effort.

Another object is to provide airimproved can holdin'g or supporting device 'for a spray-type 'milk cooler.

A further objectis to providearotatable can sup porting mechanism for a front-openingty-pe milk cooler:

A further important object is' toprovide an improved cooling fluid spraying mechanism that' includes-a multiplicity of individual s'pray header s-"arranged circumfer= entially about a centrally disposed distribution reservoir.

Another important-object' is m provide a combination cooling fluid spray and can supporting mechanism where-' in a multiplicity'of can supporting-racks are rotatably positioned about a central pedestal-like member that also carries cooling fluid therewithin' from a floor reservoir to a distribution-reservolr disp'osed at the upper end thereof.

A still further object' 'is to provide an'improved' ar-' rangement for facilitating-the loadingand unload ng of milk cans through a front-opening'type milk eo'oler.

Further objects and advantages"of the present invert-- tion will be apparent from the full descriptionyreference being hadto the accompanyingdrawing-whereina preferred form of the present inventioniselearlyfshown Fig. 1 is a side view, with the'cabinet portionand a" portion of the pedestal supportshownin'cutaway" section, of a milk cooler constructednn, accordance with the present invention;f"The milkcans being "disposed in spraying position.

Fig. 2 is a vertical section taken along line Fig. 1 but with the cans rotated 45 from IhQPOSltlOD in which they were shown in Fig'..'1", and with one" can Omitted.

fully explained later.

is generally conventional in denser-33 suitably connected thereto, and, as shown,

"tially s the support are provided fora purpose which will be more fully understood as the description proceeds.

.iThe character and operation, ineludes an'hermetlc motor-compressor unit 32 and a conlocated. externally on top of the cabinet; If desired,

reference theremz is. believed necessary.

is covered J 29 and 30 to refrigeration apparatus; as'indicated,whereby cooledrefrigerant:

fashion to cool a liquid, such as the water 31, stored in refrigeration apparatus, which t however, such apparatus may be disposed independently of said cabinet, or in an extension thereof, but since this feature. is not:pert1nent to the present invention no further A hollow pedestal-like pintle bearing support 34 having of said cabinet by suitable .aflixing' means such as the bolts 3'6, arid .a'l'pluralityof openings 37. circumferenp'aced'around the lower. portion of the 'peripher'yof bearing member 38 is positioned on the upper end of said bearing support 34 and abutting the opposite face of said A ring-like ring there is positioned a hollow'tiibular sleeve-like bearing mei'nberf3i9v to which is attached a plurality. of can adapted to rotate with said holding or supporting racks 4t) sleeve 'onsaid bearing'ring. p g I Each of the'can holding or supporting racks is fash- 9 ioned as two half-Ushapedopposedrsections that are'adjacently positioned to form a full U-shaped' cradle-like rack or can support '40. Each such half section is fashioned with an inwardly extending vertical flange '41 which'has one edge thereof 'outwardly turned, and slightly curved a in conformance with the periphery'of the sleeve'bearing 39, toprovide an aflixingvertical rib member 42,while' j "the lower-edge ofrsaid" half section.isjprovidedwith an inwardly turned horizontally".extending'ican supporting ledge or flange 43: Two such half sectionsxwhen 'oppositely positioned adjacent-and complementary 'to one another will be so arranged that the respective vertical flange 41 on each section will abut one another, while the respective vertical rib members 42 will diverge or flair outwardly in opposite directions to form a slightly covered flange-like securing surface for aflixing said rack to the sleeve bearing member 39. Spot welds 44 along the opposed faces of the respective abutting vertical flanges 41 may be provided as a suitable means for fixedly securing the two half sections together. Welding means may likewise be used to fixedly attach the vertical rib member 42 of each rack to the sleeve bearing 39. As best seen in Fig. 2 a portion of the side of each section of each rack may be cut away, as shown by the inclined edge 45 on each side thereof, to reduce the weight of the member without reducing its holding or can supporting capacity or ability. Although in the attached drawings four such can holding racks are shown as positioned around and secured to said sleeve bearing 39, this number may, of course, be increased or diminished as desired simply by altering the cabinet dimensions, as well as those of said sleeve bearing member and its associated components, without departing from the spirit or teachings of this invention.

Adapted for positioning in pintle-like fashion and in a close fitting but rotatable relation within the sleeve bearing member 39 and the bearing support 34 is a rigid post member 46 which, as best seen in Fig. 5, is formed from a hollow tubular member 47 having one end thereof closed by a bearing plate 48 provided with a plurality of openings 49 and a centrally disposed journalling bearing 50 therein. The opposite end of said post member is fixedly mounted in an opening 51 in the bottom of a cup-like container or header 52 whose vertical wall contains a plurality of circumferentially spaced openings 53 corresponding in number to the number of can holding racks or cradles in the cooler cabinet. The upper marginal edge of said container is outwardly turned to provide a flange 54 to which a flat plate cover member 55 may be removably aflixed by suitable means such as the bolts 56. Outwardly extending and upwardly offset from said flange 54 there is provided a plurality of cars or lips 57 with openings 58 therein adapted for engaging the inner liner 19 of the cabinets top wall and providing means for fixedly securing the cup-like container 52 to said inner liner by any suitable securing means.

Each opening 58 in the vertical wall of said cup-like container 52 is connected by means of a manifold-like conduit 59 to a circular spray ring member 60 vertically disposed over a milk can to be cooled. Each spray ring 60 is fashioned as a ring-like trough or channel having the upper portion thereof open, and a cross-section of this ring member resembles a U-shaped channel or trough having an inner wall or leg 61 that is slightly shorter than its parallel other leg or wall 62 because of a diverting lip or rib 63, rolled or otherwise suitably formed thereon, proximate the lower portion of the trough or channel. A plurality of circumferentially spaced openings or perforations 64, in the inner wall 61 just above the diverting lip 63, function to permit cooling fluid within the spray ring to be sprayed over a milk can positioned therebeneath. A portion of the upper marginal edge of the outer wall 62 of said ring may be bent or turned outwardly to provide a flange 65 through which screws or bolts 66 may be passed to fixedly secure said ring to the inner liner 19 of the cabinets top Wall. It Will be understood, of course, there will be one such spray ring provided for each milk can to be cooled.

Disposed within said pintle-like post 46 is an impeller shaft 67 which has an impeller 68 mounted thereon proximate the lower end thereof. Said shaft is journalled at its lower end in the pintle post journalling bearing 50, and proximate its upper end in a bearing 69, in turn, fixedly mounted in the cover plate 55, of the cup-like header 52, and positioned within the central opening 23 in the top wall of the cabinet. In order to eliminate or reduce the leakage of any fluid therearound said bearing 69 is equipped with a packing gland 70 which may be adjusted by means of a gland tightening nut 71. An electric driving motor 72, suitably mounted by the brackets 73 on the cover plate 25 in the cabinets top wall, is connected to the upper end of the impeller shaft 67 for driving the impeller 68 and thus raising cooling fluid from the floor of said cabinet to the header reservoir 52 from whence it is distributed, through the manifold connecting conduits 59, to the spray rings 60. Although any suitable connecting means may be used for connecting the impeller shaft to the motor shaft the preferred arrangement illustrated includes a reduced section portion 74 on the impeller shaft 67 which fits into a cooperating slot or groove 75 (Fig. l) in the motor shaft 76.

In order to properly position the can holding racks, and thereafter fixedly position the cans thereon, directly beneath cooperating spray rings suitable locking means are provided. Although such means may take a variety of forms the simple and preferred means illustrated includes a plurality of serrations or notches 77 around the top marginal edge of the sleeve bearing member 39 which are adapted to receive and cooperate with a conventional spring controlled simple latching and locking device 78, atfixed by suitable means to the post member 46, for restricting rotation of said sleeve with respect to said post. During the loading and unloading operation the racks holding the cans must be free to rotate but during the cooling operation the cans are fixedly held in position directly beneath the spray rings.

In coolers of this character it is frequently desirable to position empty cans within the cabinet and then pipe the milk, as it is received from the animal, directly into said cans. The openings 22 in the top wall of the cabinet are provided for such purpose, and, since there is an opening directly over each fixed position of the can racks, it is only necessary to remove the covers 24 and the covers of the milk cans and then direct the milk conducting conduits directly into the milk cans. Although the embodiment illustrated shows a top wall opening above each milk can rack position it will be appreciated that only one top wall opening 22 is actually necessary since the can supporting racks are rotatable.

In order to facilitate the loading and unloading of the cooler with cans containing milk there is provided, as best shown in Figs. 7 and 8, a cart-like dolly 79 that is arrranged to cooperate with the can holding racks during such operation. A dolly such as would be highly suitable for such purpose may be economically fashioned with a flat platform member 80 that has depending from each side thereof a skirt 81 upon which is rotatably mounted a small, preferably, rubber tired wheel 82, while a frame-like handle 83, suitably affixed to the platform, extends upwardly therefrom. Intermediate the upper and lower portions of said handle frame there may be provided a semi-circularly shaped cradle member 84 adapted to engage the side portions of a milk can when the can is uprightly positioned on the floor of the platform 80, as best illustrated by the broken line outline of the milk can seen in Fig. 7. As further noted from the drawings it will be seen that the width of the dolly platform 80 is only slightly less than the front opening of one of the U-shaped can holding racks 40 while the heighth of said platform is such that the floor thereof is in substantially the same plane as that of the can supportingledge 43 in the rack 40. By coordinating the dimensions of this dolly with the can holding features of the cooler it will be obvious that no lifting will be required and that the loading and unloading operation of said cooler will be greatly simplified.

In operation the proposed cooler functions along more or less conventional lines to cool the milk contained in the cans stored therein. The refrigerating apparatus, including the compressor unit 32 and condenser 33, supplies cooled refrigerant, by way of conduits 29 and 30, to the evaporator coil 27, immersed in cooling fluid contained within the floor reservoir in the bottom of the cooler, thereby operating to cool said liquid which in this particular instance is the water 31. When the refrigerating apparatus is operated for any appreciable length of time, as is well understood, without a warm milk load in the cooler an ice bank will form around the surface of said coil thereby providing a reservoir of refrigeration capacity that will be available tomeet the demands of any sudden load, such as is encountered when the cooler is loaded with cans containing warm milk. The cooled liquid, after passing through the openings 37 in the bearing support member 34 and openings 49 in the bearing plate 48, comes into contact with the rotating impeller 68, driven through shaft 67 by the electric motor 72, which forces it upwardly through the interior of the pedestal post 46 and into the distribution reservoir or header 52 from whence it is distributed, by way of a manifold conduit 59, to veach spray ring60. A substantial portion of the cooled liquid thereafter will flow freely out of said spray rings, by way of the openings 64, and down upon the cans positioned therebeneath. In

hquidspraying means disposed in the upper'portion of event, however, that flow through the openings 64 is re-. stricted for any reason, or the discharge therethrough-is not fast enough, the water level in the spray ring will rise until it reaches the upper edge of the inner wall 61,

which is lower than the outer wall thereof, whereupon it will. spill over the edge and flow down said inner wall to the diverting lip 63 which will tend to direct the flow so that it will drop onto the central portion of-the cans top and then flow outwardly in a thin film over the sides of the can and back to the floor reservoir. This cycle is, of. course, continuous so long as the impeller motor.

72 is'in operation.

Although the proposed invention as illustrated and described refers to a spray-type milk cooler such device is likewise applicable for the spray cooling of liquids other-than milk, hence no limitation should be placed thereon that might restrict its use to that of cooling milk and to the exclusion of all other liquids.

It should now be apparent that a novel liquid cooler sulated top, bottom and vertical side walls formed to provide a cooling compartment therewithin; one of said vertical side walls being fashioned with an opening to provide access to said compartment; a closure member for said access opening; a refrigerant evaporator cooling coil disposed within said cabinet; means for circulating cooled refrigerant through said coil; milk can supporting means centrally disposed within said compartment and including a vertically disposed hollow post, a rotatable sleeve member encircling said post, and a cradle-like can supporting rack fixedly mounted on said sleeve and adapted for rotation therewith about said post; liquid spraying means disposed in the upper portion of said compartment and connected with one end of said post; and pump means for circulating liquid, cooled by contact with said evaporator, through said post into said spraying means and over a milk can positioned on the can support within said compartment.

2. A milk cooler, comprising: a cabinet having insulated top, bottom and vertical side walls formed to provide a cooling compartment therewithin; one of said vertical side walls being fashioned with an opening to provide access to said compartment; a closure member for said access opening; a refrigerant evaporator cooling unit disposed within said cabinet; means for circulating cooled refrigerant through said coil; milk can supporting means centrally disposed within said compartment and including a hollow pedestal fixedly mounted on the bottom wall of the cabinet, a vertically disposed hollow post having one end thereof positioned within said pedestal, a rotatable sleeve member encircling said post and supportably positioned on said pedestal, and a cradle-like can supporting rack fixedly mounted on said sleeve and adapted for rotation therewith about said post; liquid spraying means disposed in the upper portion of said compartment and connected to one end of said post; and pump means for circulating liquid, cooled by contact with said evaporator, through said pedestal, said post and into said spray means and over a milk can positioned on the can support within said compartment.

3. A milk cooler, comprising: a cabinet having insulated top, bottom and vertical side walls formed to provide a cooling compartment therewithin; one of said vertical side walls being fashioned with an opening to provide access to said compartment; a closure member for said access opening; a refrigerant evaporator cooling coil disposed within said cabinet; means for circulating cooled refrigerant through said coil; milk can supporting means centrally disposed within said compartment and including a hollow pedestal fixedly mounted on the bottom wall of the cabinet, a vertically disposed hollow post having one end thereof positioned within said pedestal, a rotatable sleeve member encircling said post and supportably positioned on said pedestal, and a cradlelike rack fixedly mounted on said sleeve for rotation therewith about said post and having an inwardly extending horizontal ledge adjacent the lower edge thereof adapted for receiving and supporting a milk can thereon;

sulated top, bottom and vertical side walls formed to provide a-cooling compartment therewithin; one of said vertical side walls being fashioned with an opening to provide access to said compartment; a closure member for i said compartment and connected to one end of said post; P and pump means for circulating liquid cooled bycontact with said evaporator, respectively, through said pedestal, said post and into said spray means and over a milk can positioned on-the can support within said compart- :ment.

4. A milkcooler, comprising: a cabinet having in said access opening; a refrigerant evaporator cooling unit I disposed within said cabinet; means for circulating cooled refrigerant through said coil; milk can supporting means' centrally disposed within said compartment and includ-- ing a 'hollow pedestal fixedly mounted on the bottom J wall of the cabinet, a vertically disposed hollow post having one end thereof positioned within said pedestal, a rotatable sleeve member encircling said post and supportably positioned on said pedestal, and a cradle-like can supporting rack fixedly mounted on said sleeve and W: adapted for rotation therewith about said post; liquid m] spraying means including a perforated ring positioned above said can support rack, a distribution header connected by a fluid conducting conduit with said ring, and having the interior of said header connected with one end of said hollow-post; and pump means for circulating liqwithin said compartment.

5. A milk cooler, comprising: a cabinet having insulated top, bottom and vertical side walls formed to provide a cooling compartment therewithin; one of said vertical side walls being fashioned with an opening providing access to said compartment; a closure member for said access opening; a refrigerant evaporator cooling coil disposed within said cabinet; means for circulating cooled refrigerant through said coil; milk can supporting means centrally disposed within said compartment and including a vertically disposed hollow post, a rotatable sleeve member encircling said post, and a rack having a plurality of cradle-like can supports circumferentially distributed and fixedly mounted on said sleeve for rotation therewith about said post; liquid spraying means including a plurality of perforated rings positioned above said can support rack, a distribution header connected by a fluid conducting conduit with each of said rings and the interior of said header being connected with one end of said hollow post; and pump means for circulating liquid, cooled by contact with said evaporator, respectively, through the pedestal, the post, the header, the connecting conduits and into said spray rings and over milk cans positioned on the can support within said compartment.

6. A milk cooler, comprising: a cabinet having insulated top, bottom and vertical side walls formed to provide a cooling compartment therewithin; one of said vertical side walls being fashioned with an opening providing access to said compartment; a closure member for said access opening; a refrigerant evaporator cooling coil disposed within said cabinet; means for circulating cooled refrigerant through said coil; milk can supporting means centrally disposed within said compartment and including a hollow pedestal fixedly mounted on the bottom wall of the cabinet, a vertically disposed hollow post having one end thereof positioned within said pedestal, a rotatable sleeve member encircling said post and supportably positioned on said pedestal, and a plurality of vertically disposed U-shaped cradles having a can supporting horizontal ledge adjacent the lower edge of each and being fixedly mounted on said sleeve for rotation therewith about said post; liquid spraying means disposed in the upper portion of said compartment and connected to one end of said post; and pump means for circulating liquid, cooled by contact with said evaporator, respectively, through said pedestal, post, spray means and over milk cans positioned on the can support within said compartment.

7. A milk cooler, comprising: a cabinet having insulated top, bottom and vertical side walls formed to provide a cooling compartment therewithin; one of said vertical side walls being fashioned with an opening providing access to said compartment; a closure member for said access opening; a refrigerant evaporator cooling coil uid, cooled by contact with said evaporator, through said pedestal,- said post, said header and into said spray."

ring and'over a milk can positioned on the can support" disposed within said cabinet; means for circulating cooled refrigerant through said coil; milk can supporting means centrally disposed within said compartment and including a vertically disposed hollow post, a rotatable sleeve member encircling said post, and a rack having a plurality of cradle-like can supports circumferentially distributed and fixedly mounted on said sleeve for rotation therewith about said post; liquid spraying means disposed in the upper portion of said compartment including a plurality of spraying rings fashioned with a U- shaped section and having perforations in an inner wall thereof and a diverting rib-like lip below said perforations, a distribution header connected by a fluid conducting conduit with each of said spray rings, and the interior of said header being connected with one end of said hollow post; and pump means for circulating liquid, cooled by contact with said evaporator, respectively, through the pedestal, the post, the header, the connecting conduits and into the spray rings and over milk cans positioned on the can support within said compartment.

8. In mechanism for loading a milk can cooler wherein the cooler has an opening in one vertical wall thereof, and rotatable milk can support racks therewithin in which each rack is fashioned with a vertically disposed U-shaped cradle having horizontally extending can supporting ledges that extend inwardly toward each other with a horizontal spacing therebetween and proximate the lower edges of the cradle, a can-loading device comprising: a can supporting platform which when horizontally disposed lies in the same plane as the can supporting ledges of the cradle; and having said platform provided with a forwardly extending portion which is receivable in the horizontal spacing between said ledges, whereby a milk can may readily be guidably transferred from the platform to a can support rack.

9. For use with a milk cooler comprising an insulated cabinet having an opening in one vertical wall thereof, and rotatable milk can support racks therewithin, each rack of which is provided with a vertical opening adapted to receive a milk can: a U-shaped cradle having horizontally extending can supporting ledges at the base of each rack extending inwardly toward each other with a horizontal spacing therebetween, a can loading device having a can supporting platform thereon, a projection on said platform having a'portion of lesser width than the space between said ledges and disposed in the plane thereof, said portion of lesser width being receivable in the space between said ledges upon approach of the loading device to the cooler opening, whereby a milk can is readily transferred from the platform to a can supporting rack.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,424,528 Squire Aug. 1, 1922 2,181,553 Hiller Nov. 28, 1939 2,337,323 Gates Dec. 21, 1943 2,365,024 Thomas Dec. 12, 1944 2,575,094 Chamberlain Nov. 13, 1951 

